TRUE OR FALSE: Cutting Your Hair Makes It Grow Faster

Who ya gonna call? Myth busters!

Welcome to this week’s segment of ‘TRUE OR FALSE’. Each week, we’ll be prodding and poking old wives tales (and ideas sold to us by large beauty corporations) from every angle to see how they stand up in the face of T-R-U-T-H. This time around we consulted our dear friend, the internet, to determine whether or not cutting your hair makes it grow faster. Here goes!

If I had an inch of hair for every time a hairdresser told me that cutting your hair makes it grow faster, my locks would circle Australia twice. It’s up there with ~substantiated~ claims like “These Products Will Shrink Your Pores!!!!” and “If You Pluck A Grey Hair, 10 Will Grow In Its Place!” that are fed to us from a young age, and internalised as truths for many years to come.

So, is it true or nah? As you can probs guess, cutting your hair regularly does not indeed make it grow any faster! Trimming the ends of the hair doesn’t affect the follicles in your scalp, which actually determines how fast and how much your hair grows. Science! Regular trims can make your hair look a little longer, though, because ridding your hair of split ends reduces hair breakage, and breakage is what makes hair look thinner and shorter at the ends.

So what can you do to promote actual hair growth? Happy you asked! See below for some easy breezy tips, all you Rapunzel’s in the making.

Happy Scalp, Happy Hair

Let’s get down to the root (heh heh) of the problem, shall we? Healthy hair begins at your follicles, so it’s imperative you give your scalp the TLC it so rightfully deserves. A good place to start is by incorporating Christophe Robin’s Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil into your hair care routine. Hand on heart, it’s the best product I’ve ever used for soothing my dry, irritated scalp. Generally speaking, when your scalp is free from oils, dirt and sebum, hair will grow more healthily, and there’s really no more thorough cleanse than this lil’ number. The mask does have a tendency to dry your hair out, so make sure to follow up with a good conditioner!

Never (Ever) Brush Wet Hair

Wet hair is at its most elastic (and is weaker and more fragile), so is therefore much more susceptible to breakage. If it’s tangled, your fingers should do the trick, otherwise opt for a wide tooth comb.

Give Your Hair A Break

If you’re fond of a classic updo, it might be time to consider giving your hair a lil’ rest. Pulling on the hair too hard can place extra stress on follicles, causing damage and breakage (and even hair loss, meep). If you simply must, tie your hair back loosely with a scrunchie or an invisibobble, both of which are much easier on the hair.

You Are What You Eat

As with most things, diet plays an important role in promoting hair growth. Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids like salmon, avocado, nuts and olive oil are great for hair growth, as are proteins like eggs. If you’re not about that fish life, take an Omega 3 supplement! And, on the topic of supplements, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and biotin are all great, but I personally like to swill The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost on the regular for a crystal clear complexion and a happy scalp.